Latest news with #HelenJoseph
The Citizen
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Citizen
Water interruptions affect major Gauteng hospitals
Several Gauteng health facilities are impacted by Rand Water maintenance, but services continue with a backup supply The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) has confirmed that several health facilities in the province are experiencing water supply interruptions following a public notice from Rand Water regarding planned infrastructure maintenance. Maintenance began on 30 June and is expected to continue until 21 July. It is said to affect the Eikenhof, Zwartkopjes and Palmiet pumping stations. Contingency plans in place In response, the department said it is working with municipalities to mitigate the impact on healthcare services. 'The department is working closely with the municipality to implement contingency measures to minimise the impact on health services,' said the GDoH in a statement. 'Most health facilities are equipped with water tanks, boreholes and reservoirs that can provide water for a duration of two to four days.' ALSO READ: Gauteng health urges parents to take children for immunisation Helen Joseph and Charlotte Maxeke hospitals affected Gauteng Health further highlighted that Helen Joseph Hospital is currently experiencing water supply interruptions, which are also affecting surrounding communities. 'Johannesburg Water tankers have been dispatched to pump water into the hospital tanks to ensure continuity of services,' the department stated. Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital is also affected by the Zwartkopjes water system outage. Pumping to the Parktown 2 Reservoir, which supplies the hospital, was halted for 50 hours from Monday morning. Despite this, the hospital continues to receive water through gravity feed from the reservoir, while tanks are being topped up as needed. ALSO READ: Gauteng Health's warning for parents Community clinics relying on Jojo tanks The Alexandra Community Health Centre and Hillbrow Community Health Centre are also experiencing supply issues and are currently dependent on Jojo tanks for their water needs. The GDoH said it remains on high alert and is monitoring the situation across all affected facilities. 'We will provide regular updates regarding any developments that may affect the provision of health services in any of our facilities,' it said. Residents are urged to conserve water where possible and remain patient as services are maintained during the ongoing maintenance period. NOW READ: 'Remedial work at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital on track,' says Gauteng Health
The South African
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The South African
BAD news for South Africa's next public holiday
South Africans returned to work on Tuesday having enjoyed a long weekend thanks to Monday's Youth Day public holidays. No doubt, eyes will have quickly turned to the next public holiday on the calendar. However, there's some BAD news in that regard! The next public holiday is scheduled to be National Women's Day on Saturday, 9 August. That day will sadly be 'lost' as it falls on a Saturday and it will just be a 'normal' weekend day. The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) determines that whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday , the Monday following it will also be a public holiday. However, for public holidays that fall on a Saturday , it's just a 'normal' weekend day. Of course, the fewer days off, the better for business in the country. The next public holiday which will result in a day off from work will be Wednesday, 24 September when Heritage Day – or Braai Day as it's become commonly known – will be celebrated. National Women's Day is a South African public holiday celebrated annually on 9 August. The day commemorates the 1956 march of approximately 20 000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to petition against the country's pass laws that required South Africans defined as 'black' under The Population Registration Act to carry an internal passport, known as a passbook, that served to maintain population segregation, control urbanisation, and manage migrant labour during the apartheid era. The march was led by Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams. Other participants included Frances Baard, a statue of whom was unveiled by Northern Cape Premier Hazel Jenkins in Kimberley (Frances Baard District Municipality) on National Women's Day 2009. The first National Women's Day was celebrated on 9 August 1995. In 2006, a reenactment of the march was staged for its 50th anniversary, with many of the 1956 march veterans. There are FIVE long weekends in 2025. Four have already passed with the fifth and final one scheduled to be four-day long weekend with Christmas and the Day of Goodwill (Boxing Day) falling on a Thursday and Friday, respectively. Diarise the following public holidays in 2025 and plan your vacations accordingly! Wednesday, 1 January: New Year's Day Friday, 21 March: Human Rights Day Friday, 18 April: Good FridayMonday, 21 April: Family Day Sunday, 27 April: Freedom Day
